• Former Navy SEAL Gregory Vandenberg was convicted of transporting explosives intended to harm law enforcement at a San Diego “No Kings” protest.
• Messages on the ex-serviceman’s phone indicated he believed the U.S. government was controlled by Israel, while clothing in his car expressed support for Al Qaeda and neo-Nazi beliefs.

A former Navy SEAL with neo-Nazi beliefs faces up to 10 years in prison after he was convicted of transporting fireworks across state lines with the intent to injure law enforcement at a “No Kings” protest in San Diego, authorities said.

FBI agents found messages on Gregory Vandenberg’s phone indicating he was upset with President Trump because he believed the U.S. government is controlled by Israel and the Jewish people, according to the Department of Justice.

Inside his car agents found T-shirts with a neo-Nazi symbol printed on them, a flag for the militant group the Caucasian Front, an Al Qaeda flag and a Latin message saying “Judea must be destroyed,” among other paraphernalia displaying anti-Israel and extremist beliefs, prosecutors said.

On June 12, Vandenberg stopped at a travel center near Lordsburg, N.M., and purchased six large mortar fireworks as well as 72 M-150 firecrackers, which are designed to sound like gunfire. He repeatedly expressed his desire to use the fireworks to harm law enforcement at upcoming protests in California and urged the store clerk to join him, prosecutors said.

He wore a T-shirt with the word “Amalek” on the front, which he said he designed specifically to mean “destroyer of Jews.”

[He may be a few marbles shy of the typical quantity, but it's hard now to tell actual mental illness from people living in their weird bubbles.]

Award-winning Christian hip hop artist Lecrae reflected on comedian Drew Desbordes viral sketch poking fun at megachurches, saying megachurches are “an easy target.”

Desbordes, who is better known by his stage name Druski, has received more than 36.3 million views and over 2.7 million likes on a two-and-a-half-minute Instagram sketch that mimics megachurch pastor antics.

In the video, Druski hangs from wires as he levitates above the pulpit while smoke machines bellow haze and Kirk Franklin’s “Revolution” plays. The sketch pokes fun at miraculous healings and pastors who wear expensive clothing and drive expensive cars. The sketch portrays a pastor telling congregation members they cannot leave until they raise $4 million—a comedic shot at gospel artist Bishop Marvin Sapp.

Druski also posted in the comment section of his sketch, “Mega Church Pastors LOVE Money.”

Continued below.

The US has been trying to move away from a Europe and Middle East focused foreign policy since the beginning of the century. This isn't new for Trump. And yes, there are those who strongly believe that US should wring out every last benefit from the post World War II economy that they created and that benefitted us so much.
==================
After 25 years more, it is truly time for the US to move on. We should have done so in 2003, a couple of months into the Iraq War BEFORE we headed to Baghdad wanting to change the government of yet another country and try to make them accept US style democracy. This is a failed policy. The US should be the shining light on the hill, but not the country forcing others to accept our system.

Trump wants out of being the one that runs the world. He wants the US in a greatly reduced role at the UN, NATO, and as a provider of foreign aid. He does eant to be a very rich man.
==========
TRUMP CAMPAIGNED ON NO MORE FOREVER WARS
1) He has so far failed to end the war in Ukraine.
2) He has succeeded in the Abraham Accords and in securing a cease fire, and in greatly reducing Middle East terrorism.
3) Through many threats, trump has helped to stop or shorten many conflicts.
4) He is doing what he can regarding China, no better or worse than most
5) and now, Trump is turning to focus on the Americas.
6) and of course making lots and lots of deals that benefit the US, his family and his friends
====================
WILL THE NEXT COUPLE OF PRESIDENTS MOVE BACK TO THE OLD SYSTEMS?
I suspect not. Europe is much more self-reliant as is the Middle East. We need to move on. After all, it's been over 100 years.

We will probably clean up a bit, reducing Russia's influence in the Americas even more. We will develop an immigration policy that makes sense. And, yes, we will develop CLOSER ties with Canada and Mexico.

Other than that, the focus for the next decade or so will be internal, dealing with our many crises and especially the job situation created by AI and greater automation.

A lot could happen in space this year, but let’s get real about what actually will.

Last year delivered doses of drama and excitement in the space business, with a record number of launches, breathtaking vistas of other worlds, and a multitude of breakthroughs and setbacks. 2026 is shaping up to be another thrilling year in the cosmos.

For the first time in more than 54 years, astronauts are training to travel to the vicinity of the Moon, perhaps within the next couple of months. NASA, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and other companies are poised to take major steps toward actually landing humans on the Moon, perhaps within a few years.

New rockets are slated to debut in 2026, and scientists hope to open new windows on the Universe. Here, we list the most anticipated space missions scheduled for this year, ranked according to our own anticipation for them. We also assess the chances of these missions actually happening in the next 12 months. Unless specified, we don’t assess the chances of a successful outcome.

1. Artemis II​

Continued below.

This surge has resulted in tangible harm to the state of Minnesota and its people, as well as the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. As a result of this surge, municipalities have been forced to divert local law enforcement resources away from their normal public safety duties, emergency responder resources have been strained, schools have been forced into lockdowns and closures, businesses have been forced to close, and the rights of Minnesotans have been violated time and time again.

The State and the cities allege the surge amounts to a violation of the First and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution, as well as the Constitution’s guarantee of equal sovereignty between state and federal governments. They also allege the surge violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

The State and the cities seek an end to Operation Metro Surge and the deployments of thousands of DHS agents to Minnesota, as well as an end to the unlawful behaviors of DHS agents within the state, including but not limited to:

• using force against individuals peacefully engaging in constitutionally protected speech;
• arresting, threatening and using force against innocent bystanders;
• pointing firearms at individuals who pose no threat to DHS agents; and
• carrying out enforcement actions at sensitive locations like schools, churches, hospitals.

“The unlawful deployment of thousands of armed, masked, and poorly trained federal agents is hurting Minnesota,” said Attorney General Ellison. “People are being racially profiled, harassed, terrorized, and assaulted. Schools have gone into lockdown. Businesses have been forced to close. Minnesota police are spending countless hours dealing with the chaos ICE is causing. This federal invasion of the Twin Cities has to stop, so today I am suing DHS to bring it to an end.”

John the Baptist's purpose & baptism were preparatory, not remissive. His repeatedly stated mission was to prepare the way of the Lord (Mal 3:1, Matt 3:3, Mark 1:2–3). His "baptism of repentance" was a call for Israel to return to God (Strong’s H7725 — https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7725.htm)—an outward & inward cleansing that prepared the people to meet their long‑promised Messiah who alone would forgive sins. John, Jesus & Peter spoke Aramaic & Hebrew, where "repent" meant: ISRAEL return to GOD! Not the later Greek idea of "change your mind."

Acts 19:4 confirms this: "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
(NOTE: John preached to ISRAEL, "You're off course repent/return & believe in the 1 coming after me," Messiah, who alone will/can remit & pardon sins.)

John's water baptism did not remove or remit sin. "Nothing external removes sin." Israel's sacrificial system dealt with sin only by covering it. It did not remove or forgive sin. Once a year the high priest offered innocent animal blood sacrifices for the whole nation, but these sacrifices only covered sin & only for 1 year. The process had to be repeated annually..

Water baptism does not remit or pardon sin. Repentance does not remit or pardon sin. Obedience does not remit or pardon sin. Sabbath observance does not remit or pardon sin. Tithing does not remit or pardon sin. "Nothing external removes sin."

What removes sin, how & why:
Only faith & faith alone-placed in the finished, sin‑redeeming death & resurrection of the Lord Jesus-brings forgiveness. All glory, all credit, all praise belongs to our great God & Savior, Jesus the Christ.

The Word became flesh (Jn 1:1, 14 & Rev 19:13), born of a woman (Gal 4:4) by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18-25 & Luke 1:26-38). His humanity was real & His blood was sinless (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Jn 3:5; 1 Pet 1:19; 1 Pet 2:22).

Scripture is clear: "Without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb 9:22). Jesus said, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt 26:28). Revelation affirms the same: He washed us from our sins in His own blood (Rev 1:5).

Hebrews identifies the Lord Jesus as our great High Priest (Heb 4:14), called by God after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:10). Under the Old Covenant, the pattern was sin-imputation by the high priest. In Leviticus 16:21, Aaron laid both hands on the substitute, confessed the sins of the nation, transferring-imputing-those sins onto the innocent victim. That was the foreshadow.

Jesus is the fulfillment.

Jesus is the mediator of the New Testament (Heb 9:15 & 12:24), our great High Priest (Heb 4:14) & the One who offered Himself as the sacrifice (Matt 26:53). The risen Christ is the New Covenant High Priest who performs the real sin-transfer.

When we call on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21 & Rom 10:13) & place our faith in Jesus' sin-atoning death & resurrection, He forgives all our sins (Heb 10:10–18) & imputes our sins onto Himself (Heb 10:10; 2 Cor 5:19; Rom 4:8, 11, 22–24). At that same moment, He places His forever (Jn 14:16), salvation‑sealing (Eph 1:13–14; 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; 2 Tim 1:14) indwelling Holy Spirit in you.

Anyone can dunk someone into a pool of water. Only Jesus, who knows the true heart of man, can baptize-place-His Holy Spirit in-you. Jesus then imputes His righteousness to us (2 Cor 5:21, Ja 2:23 & Isa 61:10), the very righteousness pictured as the white robe in Revelation 19:7–8 that grants us entrance to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Finally:
The only thing that removes sin from the soul is faith placed in the finished, sacrificial, sin‑atoning work of our great God & Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Revelation echoes it: He loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Rev 1:5).

The only thing that removes sin from the soul is faith placed in the finished, sacrificial, sin‑atoning work of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Two things here: Context and Wording

Context is critical to correct biblical interpretation. So, I recommend that you read the entire book of 1 John to get the full context before you start interpreting what you read only from select sections of the Scriptures. Why? Because Scriptures taught outside of their original context may present a completely different message from what is being taught and presented in the book, as a whole. This is not always the case, but many times it is. And this is one of those that needs the whole context to get the right message.

It is important that we understand the wording, too. And I obviously speak American English, and the Bible translation I am reading is also written in American English. But our English words don’t always capture well the true meaning of the original Greek words. So, in this case, many people will read this, and they will assume that if they make a verbal profession of faith in Jesus Christ, believing that he is the Son of God, and that he is God, that God now abides in them, they are saved, and are on their way to heaven.

But is that what this is teaching? No, it isn’t. How do I know that? I read the whole book. And the first three chapters tell us that if we say that we have fellowship with God/Christ, yet we walk in darkness (sin), we are liars who do not practice the truth. And if we claim that we know him, but we do not obey his commandments, we are liars, and the truth is not in us. And no one born of God makes a practice of sinning. But the ones who die to sin and who obey God, in practice, are those who abide in God, and God in them.

So, why does chapter four, then, appear to give the impression that we can just confess that Jesus is the Son of God and now God abides in us and us in him? It has to do with the wording and how it is understood in the English versus its original meaning in the Greek. For the word essentially means to agree with God and with what God says, to speak the same thing as God, to voice the same conclusion as God, and to align (cooperate) with God. And if we align with what God says about Jesus, this is not just words we speak.

And let’s move on. “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” So, what is this love being spoken of here? Well first of all God is love, so if we abide in (comply with, obey, follow, conform to, remain in) God, then God abides in us. And the word “love” centers in moral preference, and it prefers what God prefers, which is all that is holy, morally pure, upright, honest, faithful and obedient to our Lord and to his commands, which is described for us in the first three chapters.

And then it says, “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.” So if we are as He is, as he was when he lived in the world, then our lives should reflect the life of Jesus Christ. Now we won’t be perfect as he was, but lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for deliberate and habitual sin. We should aim to please our Lord in every way, following him wherever he leads us in doing all that he commands that we must do.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

So, we must take this to heart if we want to abide in Christ and him in us, and if we want to have the assurance of salvation and eternal life with God.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Abide in Him

Based off Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 40:31; John 14-15
An Original Work / July 31, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

If you wait for the Lord, put your hope now in Him,
He will give you His strength and endurance within.
He will renew your strength, so you will not lose heart.
You will soar on wings like eagles, never depart.

“If you abide in Me, and My words live in you,
You will walk with Me daily and follow what’s true.
I will live now in you; give you peace now within,
If you obey My teachings and turn from your sin.”

“If you listen to Me, and do all that I say,
I will give you My comfort; be with you always.
I will heal all your pain; life with Me now you’ll gain,
If in fellowship with Me you always remain.”

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Abiding in God
An Original Work / January 14, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

I was raised in a Lutheran Protestant household that lacked all of the contemporary interest in future prophecy. Nevertheless, we as a family noticed something significant, prophetically, in 1967 with the 7 Days War. And I began to study biblical prophecy and the book of Revelation.

When I became engaged with the Jesus People and young Christian revival movements in the early 70s, there was a focus on Dispensationalism, and I pursued an interest in Futurist eschatology with a Dispensationalist slant. But it wasn't long before a number of inconsistencies became obvious to me, and I had trouble harmonizing all of the beliefs.

I then turned to a systematic approach to prophetic interpretation, looking for significant markers in biblical history where certain truths became determinative in all that followed. For example, important prophetic markers would be Abraham's Covenant promises and Daniel's Dream. What resides in these events provide an important backdrop for the rest of biblical prophecy.

And instead of following a particular prophetic school I became convinced that even if one school is better than another it was likely that other schools were held together by a few strands of important prophetic truths. I wasn't going to let a flawed school keep me from accepting something they saw and others rejected strictly because their truths came from another, flawed school.

Dispensationalism has carried most of the weight in building assumptions surrounding various interpretations of relevant passages of the Bible. It views the 70th Week of Daniel 9 as future and disconnected from the previous 69 Weeks mentioned there. And it views the "Abomination of Desolation," mentioned in both Dan 9 and Matt 24, as a reference to the Antichrist.

The Book of Revelation was looked at by Dispensationalists as separated into two parts, the present Church Age and the final 7 years of Antichristian rule. The Church would be Raptured just before the rise of Antichrist, coinciding with John's Rapture to Heaven to see his visions. What followed would be 7 years of Antichristian rule prior to the Battle of Armageddon and Christ's 2nd Coming.

Dispensationalists typically view Postribulationists as anachronistic to Futurist belief, even though many of them are Futurists. And they view Preterists as antithetical to Futurism, even though some of their beliefs can be held to by Futurists. For example, the belief by Preterists that much of the Olivet Discourse is about the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD can be held to along with Futurist beliefs.

So, this is where I've come out. I believe the 70th Week of Daniel was fulfilled at the death of Christ. And I believe the Abomination of Desolation was fulfilled when the Roman Army defeated Jerusalem in 70 AD. I'm also a Postribulationist who believes in a future 3.5 year Reign of Antichrist with the Church being Raptured at the end of this period. And I believe the Olivet Discourse was focused primarily on the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, with the Roman Army being the Abomination of Desolation, and this event taking place literally in Jesus' generation, followed by a long age of Jewish exile, also called the "Great Tribulation."

I believe though discussion of the various issues sometimes leads to "bad blood," approaching the differences in a friendly way can have a positive effect. After all, we are pursuing Scriptural truth, which God gave to us for our edification. So I invite any and all takers on the issues I've raised?

(posting in fellowship)

What foods are forbidden in Adventism or are avoided?

Meat? (Pork, Chicken, Beef, other poultry)
Seafood? Shrimp? Crab? Lobster?
Coffee or Tea?
Alcohol? Beer and Wine permitted? Hard liquor forbidden?
Eggs?

I'm only asking out of curiosity.

Peace

Hi all.

I've prayed for salvation, "accepted" Jesus as my savior in my head, asked to be changed, asked to be saved from sin, etc, almost each day for the past 21 years. Not much has changed over 21 years.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.

The woman killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis last week served on the board of her son’s school, which linked to documents encouraging parents to monitor ICE

The documents shed new light on Renee Good’s connection to efforts to monitor and potentially disrupt ICE operations – an association that federal officials have made clear is at the center of their review into the deadly incident that occurred as she partially blocked ICE agents in the street with her SUV.

Another guide linked to in the training document stresses nonviolent responses to ICE agents, while also encouraging a refusal to “comply with demands, requests, and orders.” It suggests “creative tactics,” noting that “Crowds, props, traffic, and noise can make detentions difficult, sometimes ICE vehicles can’t move (‘whoops!’).”

Now, I will tell you upfront that I am going to use this passage of Scripture slightly out of context to make a point in a slightly different direction, but with the same general message. For “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)

Okay, so the different situation is my present health status, and my test results, and the plan of action for my well-being from this moment forward. Now, I believe the Lord did have me go to the ER on September 17, 2025, when I was having severe chest pain and pressure, difficulty breathing, and nerve pains shooting throughout my body, primarily on my left side. And I do believe he had me have a follow-up visit with my doctor, and that he had me go through a series of about 19 medical tests and/or procedures.

For, they did give us a good picture of my present health status and of what is broken and needs to be fixed, essentially. And I believe this was for my good, that we identify the areas in my body which need work/help. And that is the first step. So, I am appreciative of the medical profession and the doctors for their diligence in trying to find the source of my pain. Yet, it appears that most (not all) of the treatments recommended to solve these issues involve the use of drugs which largely mask (not heal) symptoms.

But it isn’t just that they mask symptoms, but often they cause more issues and pain and suffering with all the possible side effects from the medications themselves. And so, not only are they sometimes counterproductive, but they can actually do more harm than good. So, although the testing was for my good, and produced good in that we now know what is wrong with my body, so many (not all) of the recommendations were not for my good, but could actually do me more harm, as I have experienced in years past.

Now, if you are still with me, there is a spiritual message contained in all of this. For if/when we examine our spiritual lives against the truth of the Scriptures, and God reveals to us the areas of our lives where there are issues, where there are areas that need fixing on a spiritual and perhaps moral level, then we need to seek God for the solutions. For some (or many) humans are going to recommend to us solutions which are not of God, and which may even be contrary to God’s will and purpose for our lives, for they are looking to humans to resolve their issues, and not to their creator God.

And, on a physical level, I am certainly not accusing any of my doctors of deliberately suggesting anything that they knew would cause me harm, but so many doctors are being trained in medications as the primary or only solution to our health issues, and that is a false narrative. And on a spiritual level there are many “false brethren” among us who are leading us in the wrong direction who are teaching that we can just “mask our symptoms” with the “blood of Christ” without actually putting sin to death in our lives.

And that really is the parallel message with my health situation. For there are many professing Christians whose lives are broken and in need of healing and deliverance who have, perhaps with the help of others, discovered what is broken and what needs healing and deliverance. Yet they are listening to these “false brethren” who are teaching them lies, who are “white washing” their sins and are convincing them that all their sins are forgiven, even though they are still living in deliberate and habitual sin.

But Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

So, we need to look to Jesus for the solution to sin issues, and not rely on the world and worldly preachers to make our decisions for us, and to lead us in the wrong direction, which will cause us more harm, and not good. And we should not consider that all doctors’ or pastors’ counsel is what we should follow, and that it is for our good, just because of who they are. For they are still humans. And they don’t get everything right. And some of them may even intentionally do or recommend what they know will cause more harm.

So, learn to go to God with your troubles, with your sicknesses, and definitely with any battles you might be having with sin. And rely on the Lord to give you the counsel that you need to know what to do and not to do, according to the Scriptures and what they teach, and according to the will and purpose of God for our lives. For the advice of human beings may not always be in line with the counsel of God, and some of it, as said, may be deliberately in opposition to God’s counsel, and to do you deliberate harm.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Lead Me Gently Home, Father

By Will L. Thompson, 1879

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home;
When life’s toils are ended,
And parting days have come,
Sin no more shall tempt me,
Ne’er from Thee I’ll roam,
If Thou’ll only lead me, Father,
Lead me gently home.

Lead me gently home, Father,
Lead me gently home;
In life’s darkest hours, Father,
When life’s troubles come,
Keep my feet from wand’ring,
Lest from Thee I roam,
Lest I fall upon the wayside,
Lead me gently home.

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In Order to Bring Us Into Bondage
An Original Work / January 13, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

A wave of federal prosecutors in Minnesota and Washington DC have resigned in protest over the justice department’s decision not to hold a civil rights investigation into the fatal shooting of an unarmed US citizen by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis.

Six lawyers from the US attorney’s office in Minnesota quit on Tuesday over the department’s reluctance to investigate the shooter of Renee Nicole Good, the New York Times reported.

Among them is Joseph H Thompson, who was second in command at the office and led a large-scale fraud inquiry last year that led in part to the Trump administration sending a surge of immigration agents into the state.

Thompson and his colleagues, the Times said, were upset at senior justice department officials demanding a criminal inquiry into any ties between Good and her widow, Becca, into activist groups; and the refusal of the FBI to allow state investigators to join its investigation of the shooting.

Separately, four leaders of a crucial division in the US justice department have also resigned. The lawyers left the civil rights division, which has a criminal investigations unit that investigates the use of force by police officers, according to MS Now, citing three people it said were briefed about the departures.

The resignations follow a decision by Harmeet Dhillon, the Trump administration-aligned assistant attorney general for civil rights, not to investigate the 7 January killing of Good

Multiple career prosecutors in Dhillon’s office offered to lead an inquiry into the shooting but were told not to do so, CBS News reported on Friday.

--

Whistleblower drops 'largest ever' ICE leak to unmask agents​

A Department of Homeland Security whistleblower has released the identities of about 4,500 ICE and Border Patrol employees Tuesday in what has been called potentially the largest agency data breach for the department.

The killing of 37-year-old mother Renee Nicole Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross last week in Minneapolis has prompted the leak of personnel data to the ICE List, an online database created to promote accountability by the masked federal agents, according to a report from The Daily Beast.

“It is a sign that people aren’t happy within the U.S. government, clearly. The shooting [of Good] was the last straw for many people," Dominick Skinner, ICE list founder, told The Beast.

I read a lot about Michael Heiser's studies about the divine council and related interpretations. To those that have read of him, what do you as Orthodox think of his studies? In what do you disagree? Thanks.

A counterprotester briefly faces off with protesters as crowd diminishes​

A counterprotester antagonized some of the demonstrators near the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on Thursday morning.

“We executed one of you yesterday,” the counterprotester said.

The protesters’ response: “Don’t feed the trolls.”

‘We executed one of you yesterday’: Michigan CEO steps down after protest​

A Bay City man seen in a viral video shouting at protesters in Minneapolis in the aftermath of the death of Renee Nicole Good has since resigned as CEO from a southeast-Michigan company.

Jayden Scott announced on his LinkedIn account Saturday, Jan. 10, that he was resigning as CEO of Harmony Investment Group, a Troy-based private health care firm.

“With recent developments in America, the board and I have decided, we have different views of the future of America."

Also in the video, Scott referred to the protesters as terrorists, and called for more “patriots.”

“We need the backup,” he said.

Hello, I have a question. I've read a lot about the late Michael Heiser's work, especially the divine council, plus other things like itnerpretation. To those that have heard of him, what do you as Catholics think of his views?

The End is (Very) Nigh.

Pentagon clarifies Hegseth’s ‘putting hands on recruits’ statement​

“Yes, they can shark attack, they can toss bunks, they can swear, and yes, they can put their hands on recruits,” he said. “This does not mean they can be reckless or violate the law, but they can use tried and true methods to motivate new recruits, to make them the warriors they need to be.”

“Of course, you can’t do, like, nasty bullying and hazing. We’re talking about words like bullying and hazing and toxic. They’ve been weaponized ... inside our formations, undercutting commanders and NCOs. No more. Setting, achieving and maintaining high standards is what you all do. And if that makes me toxic, then so be it.”

[So bullying and hazing are wrong, but we can't talk about 'bullying' or 'hazing'? Well, how bad is this problem, anyway?]

The most recently compiled report on military hazing, from 2024, shows that about one in five hazing and bullying complaints is substantiated, and that reporting numbers, while on a recent upswing, are relatively low, with 138 hazing complaints for that year. The Marine Corps has accounted for a disproportionately high share of hazing allegations since congressionally mandated reporting began in 2020.

--
Also, I can't wait for Hegseth to say "I was hazed, but I turned out okay."

As someone who has never been involved in Christian communities where "means of grace" has been used, I'm trying to understand what people mean by this "expression". It seems to be usually (maybe always) tied to the purpose of the sacraments, but I'm clear what it actually means.

Perhaps it's because different communities use it differently?

So, please, explain like I'm 5, what you mean when use the expression "it's a means of grace"?

And please, let's not let this become a debate - there's a enough of that around. We all know different Christians view the sacraments differently. No need to debate their meaning or anything else in this tread. Feel free to ask clarifying questions, but let's leave disagreeing for somewhere else.

An Arizona pastor has taken to social media to question the wisdom of interracial marriage, characterizing his own marriage to a Latina woman as less than “ideal.”

Partridge is an author and pastor of King’s Way Reformed Church in Prescott, Arizona. He is known for posting provocative content regarding a variety of issues. In October, Partridge was at the center of online controversy after criticizing the “crack-sucking leggings” worn by a waitress where his family ate a meal.

Dale Partridge: Interracial Marriage Is Not the ‘Ideal’​

“As a Christian man happily married to a Mexican/Spanish/American woman, I actually agree with @JoelWebbon,” Partridge said in a social media post on Saturday (Jan. 10). “Interracial marriage is not the ‘ideal.’”

Continued below.

Jeri Rees said her 21-year-old nephew underwent six hours of surgery and that doctors found shards of plastic, glass and metal embedded in his eyes and around his face, including a metal piece lodged 7 mm from a carotid artery.

She said doctors did not want to remove the shrapnel near the artery out of fear that it could kill him.

Several videos of Friday’s incident were shared on social media. One video shows demonstrators, who were protesting the fatal shooting in Minnesota of Renee Good, throwing orange safety cones at the agents, who were standing guard outside of the Santa Ana federal building.

In the video, at least one agent appears to fire nonlethal rounds at the crowd, hitting one woman in the leg before aiming and striking the victim in the face.

The video shows the victim dropping to the ground after being shot, holding their face as the crowd retreats. The same agent then drags the victim by the hood of their jacket; they appear to be choking, grasping at the jacket binding their neck as blood pours from their left eye.

“The other officers were mocking him, saying, ‘You’re going to lose your eye,’” she said, recalling what her nephew told her.

“This constitutes as deadly force as far as the law is concerned,” said Ed Obayashi of the video. The Modoc County sheriff’s deputy and legal advisor to police agencies, who has testified in similar cases, said that “all the training manuals and [legal] cases say you don’t aim at the face because these projectiles can cause serious injury [or] death.”

Obayashi said, based on law enforcement use-of-force standards, an officer can deploy deadly force if they feel their life is in imminent danger, or that they are in danger of great bodily harm. “I just don’t see that here,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Santa Ana Police Department said the only violence they were aware of that night were demonstrators tossing orange cones at the agents.

In an email response to The Times, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary with the Department of Homeland Security, said a “mob of 60 rioters threw rocks, bottles and fireworks at law enforcement officers outside of the federal building.”

Read in ABC News: Trump says 'HELP IS ON ITS WAY' for Iran as protest death toll tops 2,000 — ABC News


I wish Trump would stop inserting himself into everybody’s business

I remember growing up when I was a kid there was this one church me and my family attended in Longview, WA, where among the youth there, there were 4 teenagers who seemed to have formed a little clique amongst themselves. They acted snobby and didn't talk to anyone else but themselves. They excluded other people from their little circle all the time. I was a 9-year-old girl at the time and I was struggling with my autism and making new friends. They didn't treat me nicely. I guess they thought I was strange? I did actually try to get to know them and hang around them, but I guess I wasn't cool enough for them because they excluded me too!

Of course this angered my mom. She told me she thought they weren't nice kids and that I should stay away from them. She told me she thought one of the girls had a mean streak. So I did stay away from them.

What do you think about young people in churches forming cliques among themselves and excluding others from their little circle? Do you think that is not very Christian-like behavior?

Nothing would exist without the quantum fields. Not life, not math, not even reality! Absolutely nothing.

A scientist would argue, mathematics forbid the absence of quantum fields or Zero point energy......

But without the quantum fields, even math and physics would not exist!!

We argue about life but nothing would exist in the first place without the quantum field / zero point energy

And nobody knows how the quantum field came to be. Even religion have no answer. Nothing says that God created the quantum field. It is already there when God started working!!

The importance of the quantum field is such it makes everything else a distraction.